The Basics:
The images below show the Everglide MonsterMat fresh from the can. As you can see the fact that it ships rolled up requires that you have to wait, or perhaps roll it in the opposite direction, in order to get it to lay flat. Even with a bit of effort, it still took a while to get that one large crease out, and until it was gone it did hinder smooth operation of my mouse.
 
For a size reference, the above right image shows a Logitech MX500 swimming in a sea of mouse surface. This mouse surface really is huge, and if you happen to be the type that would prefer to have your whole desktop covered with padded cloth-like goodness, this is the pad for you. It was actually too large for my desk, and even once I cleared all the items out of the general vicinity, I couldn't get the whole thing onto my desk, and one corner had to hang off a little bit.
The image below shows a close up of the logo printed on the top surface, and is also supposed to show the texture of the pad.
Although it may seem just like your typical cloth covered foam mouse pad (as it did to me), Everglide has a bit to say on their website regarding the surface. A bit of it was quoted in the features and specifications section, but the website actually goes on with more info on Fibertek technology. Although it was a bit smoother than other cloth covered foam mouse pads I have on hand, it really wasn't all that much different than the free one I got from my bank, or the Scooby Doo one my 4-year old uses.
Conclusion:
The Everglide Titan MonsterMat Mouse Surface worked very well with my Logitech MX500 and MX1000 mice, as well as with an Everglide G-1000 which will be featured in an upcoming review. The surface was smooth and offered a nice balance of resistance and speed to make game play and typical desktop use enjoyable.
In my opinion, the Fibertek technology is less of a special feature than is the overall size of the surface. The feel of the surface seemed much like many other cloth mats I have used, even some fairly generic ones. The Everglide Titan MonsterMat is absolutely huge, and if mouse pad real estate appeals to you, invest now! Although an oversized mouse surface eliminates concerns about falling off the edge during that key move in your favorite game, you do need to consider that a 17"x14" rectangle of desktop is required for installation. I didn't even have that much room to offer.
A search of PriceGrabber only turned up one result, which is Directron.com with a price of $22.99. The only other option I see is to buy direct from Everglide, and since they only charge $19.99, it is a very good option! There are a few oversized mouse surfaces on the market that I am aware of, and the Everglide Titan MonsterMat is definitely competitive when it comes to price.
Pros:
» Plenty of slick mousing real estate
» Reasonably priced, oversized mouse surface
» Metal cylinder to protect mouse surface when travelling to LAN parties
Cons:
» Too large (17"x14") for my desk
» Took a while for it to finally lay flat
» Seemed much like an oversized version of a typical cloth mouse pad to me
Special thanks to Everglide for providing the Titan MonsterMat Mouse Surface to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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